Experienced, Compassionate St. Louis Neck Injury Lawyer On Your Side

If you’ve suffered a neck injury, you may be distraught by how long the effects of the injury linger on. While many neck injuries can be remedied with medical care and therapy, other neck injuries present symptoms for months or even years.  A serious neck injury can result in limited mobility preventing you from living life as normal. Basic everyday tasks may now be extremely strenuous, painful, or even impossible. Neck injuries can result in chronic pain that is severe enough to disrupt your sleep, making it more difficult to get through your days. If you have chronic neck pain, you may also experience depression and anxiety as a result of emotions of powerlessness and frustration.  Constant headaches, migraines, and fatigue are also devastating side effects of a severe neck injury. If you are dealing with a neck injury that’s left you unable to return to work or accomplish your everyday tasks, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. Now is a time when you need a strong advocate in your corner—someone who will fight for you, your health, your finances, and your future. You can find all those things and more when you contact an experienced St. Louis neck injury lawyer from Finney Injury Law.

When your neck injury results from negligence or carelessness, we are ready to use our experience and skill to ensure you get the medical treatments you need, along with an equitable settlement. You may wonder whether having a St. Louis neck injury lawyer from Finney Injury Law will truly make a difference. The answer to that question is a resounding “yes.” 

At Finney Injury Law, we care about each and every client in a way that makes us fight zealously for a positive outcome. This is a rarity in today’s world, with many personal injury attorneys settling claims quickly for a low amount to get their percentage and move on to the next case. Finney Injury Law never operates in this manner. We get to know our clients, offering them the highest level of personalized attention and care. If we cannot negotiate a full and fair settlement on behalf of our clients, we will never hesitate to file a lawsuit and take the case to court. We are always 100 percent prepared for a claim to go to court, to have more leverage during negotiations.      

What Are the Most Common Neck Injuries Following an Accident?

Whether you’ve been rear-ended in an auto accident or suffered a slip and fall in your local grocery store, you may have ended up with a serious neck injury. Virtually any type of accident can cause neck injuries. The most common types of neck injuries from accidents include:

  • A slipped disc (also known as a herniated disc)—The “discs” in your cervical spine are filled with a jelly-like substance meant to protect your vertebrae and help absorb shock if impacted. During an accident, a disc may bulge, herniate, slip, or rupture, compressing the nerves in the spinal cord. Injuries to your discs can result in numbness or pain in the arms and neck and are especially common in side-impact automobile accidents.
  • Cervical spondylolisthesis occurs when the impact of an accident results in dislocated vertebrae, causing an injury that can be mild, or much more severe. Cervical spondylolisthesis can cause pain that radiates to the back of your head, or to your shoulders. 
  • Pinched nerves occur when an accident damages bones, tendons, tissues, or discs, causing them to shift from their normal position and rub against the surrounding nerves. Pinched nerves can result in severe pain, tingling, or numbness.
  • Sprains or strains in the neck occur when the facet joint, tendons, or tissues that connect bones to muscles are damaged. Neck sprains and strains cause pain, lack of mobility, and muscle spasms.
  • A facet joint injury can result in an inability to move your head and neck freely since the facet joints in your neck stabilize both your neck and your head. A facet joint injury can result in significant pain and inflammation. 
  • Fractures of the cervical spine (a broken neck) is a serious injury requiring immediate medical attention. A neck fracture means that one or more of the seven bones in your neck has a crack or is broken. Such an injury can damage the spinal cord nerves, resulting in paralysis, or even death. 
  • Muscle spasms are “twinges” in your neck, shoulders, back, and arms caused by inflammation around the nerves. In an attempt to protect the injured muscles, your body will tighten and loosen in rapid succession, causing significant pain. Muscle spasms may not show up until hours, days, or even a few weeks after your accident. 

What Are the Typical Neck Injury Symptoms?

If you’ve been involved in an accident and are suffering from any of the following symptoms, you could have received a neck injury from your auto accident or fall. 

  • Neck pain, from moderate to severe
  • Stiffness in your neck
  • Pain that radiates from your neck to your shoulders and/or arms
  • Bruising
  • Swelling
  • Your neck is tender to the touch
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Muscle weakness
  • Paralysis of the arms or legs
  • A decrease in sensation in the body, legs, or arms
  • Headaches
  • Unusual fatigue

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 23,720 neck fractures were treated in emergency centers across the United States in 2018. Less serious neck injuries are usually treated at a physician’s office, so there are no similar records for those injuries. 

How Do I Know if My Neck Injury is Serious?

While minor neck pain can be an annoyance, it generally gets better on its own, or through medical treatment and rehabilitative therapies. Signs of a serious neck injury include the following:

  • Severe pain, or pain that worsens and does not go away
  • Shooting pain in your legs or arms
  • Difficulty controlling your bowel or bladder
  • Any tingling, weakness, or numbness in your arms or legs

If you suspect a severe neck injury, immediately go to the nearest ER. A CT scan, MRI, or X-ray may be used to pinpoint and diagnose the injury in your neck. 

Why Contacting a St. Louis Neck Injury Lawyer Near You is Crucial

Since a neck injury can potentially lead to a catastrophic injury like paralysis, you should never ignore an injury to your neck. Even if you believe you are not that badly injured after an accident, you should still see a medical professional to ensure you don’t have a neck, back, or head injury that can often manifest hours, days, or even a week after your injury. As soon as you have been medically checked out, the second most important step you can take for your future is to contact an experienced St. Louis neck injury lawyer from Finney Injury Law. We will fight for your fair compensation and won’t hesitate to take a case to trial.

When you choose Finney Injury Law, you can count on having an attorney who will work tirelessly to help you get back to where you were prior to the accident—physically, emotionally, and financially. We will deal with the insurance company, giving you the time you need to heal from your injuries. We fully understand how disruptive a neck injury can be—contact Finney Injury Law today so we can begin forming a solid case on your behalf.